Snap On Slat For A Chain Conveyor Belt And Conveyor Belt System Comprising Same

ABSTRACT

A conveyor belt system provides a continuous flat support surface for a food item that moves the food item through a food preparation device. The conveyor belt system includes a conveyor belt having a plurality of spaced apart rods and a plurality of slats that are removably attached to the conveyor belt with a snap on mechanism. The slats are easily assembled and provide enhanced field service and/or replacement capability.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The disclosure is directed to a conveyor belt for conveying food items into a heated food preparation chamber, such as a toaster. In particular, the disclosure is directed to a snap on slat for a conveyor belt that minimizes costs, simplifies field maintenance, and simplifies manufacturing and assembly of a conveyor belt including the snap on slat.

BACKGROUND

In the food preparation industry often food items are prepared, at least partially, by placing the food items on a conveyor belt that transports the food items into a food preparation device, such as a toaster. Such toasters include a heated platen and a slowly rotating conveyor belt. The conveyor belt holds the food item in close proximity to the platen while the conveyor belt simultaneously transports the food item through the preparation device. The length of time the food item is exposed to the heated platen may vary based on the length of the platen and the speed of the conveyor belt. Such toasters may process food items continuously as opposed to household toasters that process food items in batch mode, such as two or four pieces of bread at a time. Conveyor toasters are ill-suited for consumer use because of their size, manufacturing cost, power requirements, and the time required to pre-heat the platen to operating temperature. However, conveyor toasters are preferred by restaurants and food services that require high-volume through-put and consistent heating/toasting.

Conveyor toasters generally include a wire conveyor belt. Wire conveyor belts are ideal for material handling, cooking, icing, slicing breading, cooling, filling, inspecting, and packing of products like breads, rolls, buns, donuts, confections, cakes, pies, pastries, meat, seafood, poultry, and other processed foods. The simple, open design of wire conveyor belts provides efficient operation with minimum maintenance and easy cleanup to meet sanitation requirements. One such known wire conveyor belt is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The wire conveyor belt 10 may include a plurality of spaced metal rods 16 interconnected by coupling “hook” and “loop” connection elements 18, 20 formed at the rod ends of adjacent metal rods 16. The rods 16 may support a food item and the rods 16 may hold the components of the belt together by way of the interconnected hook and loop connection elements 18, 20.

One known conveyor belt, for example, is the wire conveyor belt disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,987,972, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. The wire conveyor belt provides a flat support surface, but is relatively expensive to produce and is cumbersome to assemble and relatively difficult to repair or replace in the field. The plates are attached to a first spaced rod at a first end and to a second spaced rod that is adjacent to the first spaced rod at the second end.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a segment of a conventional wire conveyor belt.

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the wire conveyor belt segment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of a conveyor belt system constructed in accordance with the disclosure, the system includes a conveyor belt and a plurality of slats removably coupled to the conveyor belt.

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the conveyor belt system of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a slat of the conveyor belt system of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a horizontal toaster including the conveyor belt system of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a vertical toaster having an angled product feed chute and including the conveyor belt system of FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a vertical toaster having a vertical product feed chute and including the conveyor belt system of FIG. 3.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the vertical toaster of FIG. 8 with a cover removed revealing the conveyor belt system of FIG. 3.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a slat of the conveyor belt system of FIG. 3.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of a slat of the conveyor belt system of FIG. 3

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A conveyor belt system with snap on slats supports a food product and moves the food product through a food preparation device, such as a toaster or oven, without substantially marking or pinching the food product. Additionally, the conveyor belt system with snap on slats eases assembly of the conveyor belt system while also providing the ability to replace or repair individual slats in the field without the need for specialized tools. Individual slats may be made of any material that is durable enough to withstand temperatures within the food preparation device. Examples of slat materials include metals, such as copper, iron, aluminum, and nickel, and/or metal alloys such as steel, brass, and bronze. Stainless steel is one preferred material for manufacturing the slats and AISI T-304 is an exemplary type of stainless steel that may be preferred.

Turning now to FIG. 3, a conveyor belt system 100 includes a wire conveyor belt assembly 110 and a drive mechanism, such as a drive sprocket 111. The wire conveyor belt assembly 110 includes a wire conveyor belt 112 and a plurality of removable slats 140. The plurality of removable slats 140 form a continuous flat support surface for conveying an item, particularly a food item through a food preparation device, such as a toaster or oven.

The conveyor belt 112 comprises a plurality of spaced metal rods 116 disposed in succession and transversely with respect to a direction of conveyance. The plurality of spaced rods 116 form the wire conveyor belt 112 which serves, in part, as a scaffolding for the plurality of removable slats 140. The wire conveyor belt 112 also interacts with the drive mechanism, to move the rods 116 and the removable slats 140 through the food preparation device. Other scaffoldings capable of receiving removable slats 140 may also be used. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, each rod 116 has two end portions 121 and a supporting rod portion 116 a extending therebetween. Each end portion 121 includes a terminal hook connection element 118 that protrudes in a first direction, curves, and extends in a direction substantially opposite to the first direction for a predetermined distance. Each rod 116 also has two loop connection elements 120, which are formed in the rods 116 themselves. The hook connection elements 118 are interconnected/coupled to the loop connection elements 120 of an adjacent spaced metal rod 116 to interlock adjacent metal rods 116. The hook connection elements 118 and the loop connection elements 120 interact to allow adjacent rods 116 to pivot about an axis of the rod 116, for example while turning around the sprocket 111, while securing adjacent rods 116 to one another.

The conveyor belt assembly 110 includes the plurality of spaced metal rods 116 and the plurality of substantially flat slats 140. The slats 140 form a top side, or support surface, 115 and a bottom side 117. The top side 115 forms a flat support surface for conveying the food product, and the bottom side 117 forms a platform that is at least partially supported by the rods 116.

The support surface 115 is formed by the plurality of slats 140 which are coupled to selected rods 116 of the plurality of spaced metal rods 116. The slats 140 are secured at least partially between a first spaced rod 116 of the plurality of spaced rods 116 and a second spaced rod 116, the second spaced rod 116 being separated from the first spaced rod and supporting the slat 140 so that a leading edge 142 and a trailing edge 143 are unsecured and free of any attachment, but supported along the bottom 117, thereby providing a joint that allows adjacent slats 140 to partially rotate relative to one another at the leading edge of each slat 140 and at the trailing edge of each slat 140, for example, when the slats 140 turn around the sprocket 111.

Turning now to FIG. 5, each slat 140 includes a flat base portion 141 having a leading edge 142 and a trailing edge 143 relative to the direction of conveyance. Each slat 140 also includes a snap on connection element 145 at each end of the flat base portion 141. The snap on connection element 145 extends substantially perpendicular to the flat base portion 141 and away from the top surface 115. The snap on connection element 145 removably secures the slat 140 to the conveyor belt 112 by sliding between two adjacent rods 116 and expanding after passing the rods 116 so that the slat 140 may be separated from the conveyor belt 112 by applying a force in a direction opposite the snap on connection element 145, for example, by pulling the slat 140 away from the conveyor belt 112. The snap on connection element 145 leaves the leading edge 142 and the trailing edge 143 free of any attachment either with adjacent slats 140 or with the rods 116, so that adjacent slats 140 may partially rotate relative to one another, for example when rotating around the sprocket 111 (FIG. 3).

The snap on connection element 145 may include two spaced apart legs 151 that are separated from one another by a gap 147. Each leg 145 may include an angled leading surface 153 and a notch 155. The angled leading surface 153 divides the leg 151 into a narrower portion distal to the flat base portion 141 and wider portion proximate to the flat base portion 141. A peak 157 may be formed between the angled leading surface 153 and the notch 155, the peak 157 defining the widest location of the leg 151. The notch 155 may be sized and shaped to receive one rod 116 between the peak 157 and the flat base portion 141. For example, the notch 155 may include a curved surface that forms an arc of a circle, to complement the outer surfaces of the cylindrical rods 116. The gap 147 allows the legs 151 to be displaced towards one another when the slat 140 is being secured to the conveyor belt 112. The gap 147 may include a radiused top 159 that disperses material stress, especially when the two legs 151 are displaced towards one another during installation of the removable slat 140.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, when the slat 140 is secured to the conveyor belt 112, the legs 151 extend between adjacent rods 116. One rod 116 being seated within the notch 155 of a first leg 151 (e.g., a front leg) and another rod 116 being seated within the notch 155 of a second leg 151 (e.g., a back leg). The peak 157 prevents the legs 151 from backing out of the gap between the rods 116. To remove the slat 140, a force may be applied in a direction away from the rods 116 (e.g., away from the rods 116), which will cause the legs 151 to deform inwardly, towards one another, due to the curved surface of the notch 155 leading up to the peak 157. As the force increases, the peak 157 will eventually move far enough towards the other leg 151 that the peak 157 will be able to pass by the rod 116, thereby allowing the slat 140 to be removed from the conveyor belt 112. Alternatively, a force may be applied directly to the legs 151, pinching the distal ends of the angled leading surfaces 153 towards one another, causing the legs 151 to move towards one another to allow the peak 157 to clear the rod 116, before separating the removable slat 140 from the conveyor belt 112.

Conversely, to secure the removable slat 140 to the conveyor belt 112, the angled leading surfaces 153 of the legs 151 may be placed into a gap between two rods 116. A force may be applied towards the conveyor belt 112, which causes the legs 151 to deform inwardly, towards one another, due to the slope of the angled leading surfaces 153. Eventually, the legs 151 will deform sufficiently to allow the peak 157 to pass over the rod 116. Once the peak 157 is clear of the rod 116, the legs 151 will return to their original position, expanding away from one another, which allows the rod 116 to seat within the notch 155. The same rod 116 may also seat within a notch 155 of an adjacent slat 140. Alternatively, a force may be applied directly to the legs 151, proximate the distal ends of the angled leading surfaces 153, causing the legs 151 to move towards one another to allow the peak 157 to clear the rod 116, before moving the slat 140 towards the conveyor belt 112. Once the legs 151 are sufficiently deformed, the legs 151 may be moved into a gap between adjacent rods 116, and once the peak 157 is clear of the rod 116, the legs 151 may be allowed to expand away from one another into their original positions, which allows the rod 116 to seat in the notch 155.

The removable slats 140 are preferably formed from a metal material, such as stainless steel, or any other suitable material. For example, the removable slats 140 may be manufactured from an extrudable material including, but not limited to, extrudable metals, extrudable polymers, and extrudable ceramics. Exemplary extrudable metals include, but are not limited to, aluminum, brass, copper, magnesium, and steel. Aluminum alloys such as hard coated anodized aluminum, for example AA 6063-T6, are preferred. Exemplary extrudable plastics include, but are not limited to, polyvinylchlorides, polyethylenes, polypropylenes, acetals, acrylics, nylons (polyamides), polystyrene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrenes, and polycarbonates.

In the conveyor belt system 100 of FIG. 3, the top surfaces 115 of the removable slats 140 are generally smooth. The top surfaces may, however, be corrugated or textured to better grip an item. In other embodiments, the top surfaces of the removable slats 140 may include gripping features to retain an item while the item is transported to facilitate the frictional engagement of the food product. The roughness of the surface of the removable slats 140 in one embodiment may be provided by shot peening the surfaces of the slats 140 using a predetermined shot size, as is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0275789, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. Alternatively, the surface of the removable slat 140 may have gripping features such as an abrasive coating, dimples, furrows, or protrusions that would be strong enough to grip the food product, but not so abrasive that the gripping features rip, tear, or mark the food product.

The conveyor belt system 100 may be used in a horizontal toaster 700 as illustrated in FIG. 6, an angled toaster 800 as illustrated in FIG. 7, or a vertical toaster 901 as illustrated in FIG. 8.

Existing conveyor toasters usually include a product feed where the product is inserted into an opening of the toaster. For example, in the angled toaster 800 in FIG. 7, the product travels down an angled shoot 801, usually angled at about 45 degrees, and is received by a conveyor belt 110 (not shown in FIG. 7). The conveyor belt assembly 110 receives the food product and urges it through an opening between the conveyor belt and a heated platen. In some conveyor toasters, the food product is compressed through this opening between the platen and the conveyor belt, also called a compressive gap, to process the food product.

The disclosed conveyor belt system 100 may be used in a vertical toaster 901, as illustrated in FIG. 8. The vertical toaster 901, an example of which is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/02757789, has multiple removable and adjustable conveyor belts that receive a food product at an opening at the top of the toaster. As illustrated in FIG. 9, a vertical conveyor belt system 900 may include a guide structure 902 that runs the full length of the conveyor belt 112. In one embodiment, the conveyor belt system 900 may include a guide structure 902 on both ends of the conveyor belt assembly 110. The guide bar 904 may be fixed to a bracket 905 that attaches the guide bar 904 to the conveyor belt housing 906. The vertical toaster 901 includes a heating element (not shown), such as a heated platen, for example.

Turning now to FIG. 10, an alternate embodiment of a slat 240 is illustrated. Each slat 240 includes a flat base portion 241 having a leading edge 242 and a trailing edge 243 relative to the direction of conveyance. Each slat 240 also includes a snap on connection element 245 at each end of the flat base portion 241. The snap on connection element 245 extends substantially perpendicular to the flat base portion 241 and away from the top surface 215. The snap on connection element 245 removably secures the slat 240 to the conveyor belt 112 by sliding between two adjacent rods 116 and expanding after passing the rods 116 so that the slat 240 may be separated from the conveyor belt 112 by applying a force in a direction opposite the snap on connection element 245, for example, by pulling the slat 240 away from the conveyor belt 112. The snap on connection element 245 leaves the leading edge 242 and the trailing edge 243 free of any attachment either with adjacent slats 240 or with the rods 116, so that adjacent slats 240 may partially rotate relative to one another, for example when rotating around the sprocket 111 (FIG. 3).

The snap on connection element 245 may include two spaced apart legs 251 a, 251 b that are separated from one another by a gap 247. Each leg 251 a, 251 b may include an angled leading surface 253 and a notch 255. The angled leading surface 253 divides the legs 251 a, 251 b into a narrower portion distal to the flat base portion 241 and wider portion proximate to the flat base portion 241. A peak 257 may be formed between the angled leading surface 253 and the notch 255, the peak 257 defining the widest location of each leg 251 a, 251 b. The notch 255 may be sized and shaped to receive one rod 116 between the peak 257 and the flat base portion 241. For example, the notch 255 may include a curved surface that forms an arc of a circle, to complement the outer surfaces of the cylindrical rods 116. The gap 247 allows the legs 251 a, 251 b to be displaced towards one another when the slat 240 is being secured to the conveyor belt 112. The gap 247 may include a radiused top 259 that disperses material stress, especially when the two legs 251 a, 251 b are displaced towards one another during installation of the removable slat 240.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 10, a first leg 251 a is offset in a lateral direction from a second leg 251 b. Offsetting the legs 251 a, 251 b in the width direction from one another can advantageously enhance clearance between legs 251 a, 251 b on adjacent slats 240, thereby preventing interference between adjacent legs 251 a, 251 b.

Turning now to FIG. 11, yet another alternate embodiment of a slat 340 is illustrated. Each slat 340 includes a flat base portion 341 having a leading edge 342 and a trailing edge 343 relative to the direction of conveyance. Each slat 340 also includes a snap on connection element 345 at each end of the flat base portion 341. The snap on connection element 345 extends substantially perpendicular to the flat base portion 341 and away from the top surface 315. The snap on connection element 345 removably secures the slat 340 to the conveyor belt 112 by sliding between two adjacent rods 116 and expanding after passing the rods 116 so that the slat 340 may be separated from the conveyor belt 112 by applying a force in a direction opposite the snap on connection element 345, for example, by pulling the slat 340 away from the conveyor belt 112. The snap on connection element 345 leaves the leading edge 342 and the trailing edge 343 free of any attachment either with adjacent slats 340 or with the rods 116, so that adjacent slats 340 may partially rotate relative to one another, for example when rotating around the sprocket 111 (FIG. 3).

The snap on connection element 345 may include two spaced apart legs 351 a, 351 b that are separated from one another by a gap 347, which is not clearly illustrated in FIG. 11 because of the perspective nature of the figure, but the gap 347 is consistent with the gap 247 shown in FIG. 10 and the gap 147 shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. Each leg 351 a, 351 b may include an angled leading surface 353 and a notch 355. The angled leading surface 353 divides the legs 351 a, 351 b into a narrower portion distal to the flat base portion 341 and wider portion proximate to the flat base portion 341. A peak 357 may be formed between the angled leading surface 353 and the notch 355, the peak 357 defining the widest location of each leg 351 a, 351 b. The notch 355 may be sized and shaped to receive one rod 116 between the peak 357 and the flat base portion 341. For example, the notch 355 may include a curved surface that forms an arc of a circle, to complement the outer surfaces of the cylindrical rods 116. The gap 347 allows the legs 351 a, 351 b to be displaced towards one another when the slat 340 is being secured to the conveyor belt 112. The gap 347 may include a radiused top 359 that disperses material stress, especially when the two legs 351 a, 351 b are displaced towards one another during installation of the removable slat 340.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 11, a first leg 351 a is offset in a lateral direction from a second leg 351 b. Offsetting the legs 351 a, 351 b in the width direction from one another can advantageously enhance clearance between legs 351 a, 351 b on adjacent slats 340, thereby preventing interference between adjacent legs 351 a, 351 b.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 11 differs from that illustrated in FIG. 10 in that the offset legs 351 a, 351 b differ at opposite ends of the slat 340. For example, in FIG. 11, the first leg 351 a at a first end 398 of the slat 340, which is generally adjacent the leading edge 342, is offset towards a second end 399 of the slat 340. However, the corresponding leg 351 a at the second end 399 of the slat 340 is not offset. At the second end 399 of the slat 340 it is the second leg 351 b, which is generally adjacent to the trailing edge 343, that is offset. Thus, the offset legs 351 a, 351 b are arranged in a staggered configuration as opposed to the symmetrical configuration of FIG. 10 in which both legs 351 a (or both legs 351 b) are offset.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the conveyor belt system, the compression gap can be adjusted according to varying sizes of food product. In one embodiment, the conveyor belt can be adjusted with respect to the reactive surface as illustrated and explained in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0275789.

While the present invention has been described with respect to a particular embodiment of the present invention, this is by way of illustration for purposes of disclosure rather than to confine the invention to any specific arrangement as there are various alterations, changes, deviations, eliminations, substitutions, omissions and departures which may be made in the particular embodiment shown and described without departing from the scope of the claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A conveyor belt, the conveyor belt comprising: a plurality of slats, a first slat having a flat base portion for carrying an item, the flat base portion having a leading edge and a trailing edge, relative to a direction of conveyance, the leading edge and the trailing edge being substantially perpendicular to the direction of conveyance travel of the conveyor belt; and a snap on connection element extending away from a top surface of the flat base portion of the first slat.
 2. The conveyor belt of claim 1, wherein the snap on connection element removably secures the first slat to a rod of the conveyor belt.
 3. The conveyor belt of claim 1, wherein the snap on connection element leaves the leading edge and the trailing edge of the first slat free of any attachment.
 4. The conveyor belt of claim 1, wherein the snap on connection element comprises two spaced apart legs that are separated by one another by a gap.
 5. The conveyor belt of claim 4, wherein each leg comprises a notch.
 6. The conveyor belt of claim 5, wherein the notch is sized and shaped to receive a portion of a rod of the conveyor belt.
 7. The conveyor belt of claim 6, wherein a first rod is seated within the notch.
 8. The conveyor belt of claim 4, wherein the legs are deformable relative to one another so that the legs deflect to receive a rod of the conveyor belt when the slat is pressed onto the conveyor belt.
 9. A food preparation device comprising: a housing; a heating element located within the housing; and a conveyor belt assembly, the conveyor belt assembly comprising: a plurality of slats, a first slat having a flat base portion for carrying an item, the flat base portion having a leading edge and a trailing edge, relative to a direction of conveyance, the leading edge and the trailing edge being substantially perpendicular to the direction of conveyance travel of the conveyor belt; and a snap on connection element extending away from a top surface of the flat base portion of the first slat.
 10. The conveyor belt of claim 9, wherein the snap on connection element removably secures the first slat to a rod of the conveyor belt.
 11. The conveyor belt of claim 9, wherein the snap on connection element leaves the leading edge and the trailing edge of the first slat free of any attachment.
 12. The conveyor belt of claim 9, wherein the snap on connection element comprises two spaced apart legs that are separated by one another by a gap.
 13. The conveyor belt of claim 12, wherein each leg comprises a notch.
 14. The conveyor belt of claim 13, wherein the notch is sized and shaped to receive a portion of a rod of the conveyor belt.
 15. The conveyor belt of claim 14, wherein a first rod is seated within the notch.
 16. The conveyor belt of claim 12, wherein the legs are deformable relative to one another so that the legs deflect to receive a rod of the conveyor belt when the first slat is pressed onto the conveyor belt. 